Adjustable chair



Aug. 20, 1929. L. STUSAK ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed June 21, 1928 Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES LOUIE ST'USAK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

Application filed June 21, 1928.

This invention relates to chairs of the Morris, or modified Morris type charac terized by aswingable back, and in the present instance, a swingable seat.

The object of the invention is to produce a chair in which the movements of the seat and back and the setting to any desired position may be easily effected by merely grasping and moving the chair-back itself.

The character of the invention is fully disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a chair embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the skeleton frame of the chair shown in Fig. 1, a part being broken away to show the latching device. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the latch mechanism, partly in section.

In the drawing the numeral 5 denotes the main supporting frame of the chair, comprising, with the arms 6 and legs 7, a rectangular, box-like structure, having sides 8 and front and rear cross-bars 9 and 10, re-

spectively. Inside this frame is mounted the body-supporting part of the chair, a

seat 11 and back 12. In the type of chair herein set forth the seat and back are rigidly connected, and swing in unison, when moved, the seat being pivoted to the outer frame at 13.

The support for the seat and back at the rear forms the principal subject matter of this invention, and will now be described.

Set in a rear leg, or for the sake of stability and balance, preferably in both rear legs, is a metal ratchet 14, suitably secured in place, as by screws 15. The ratchet has a series of intermediate teeth 5 for varying support of the seat, as will appear presently, and also a stop-shoulder 15 at the lower end and a prolonged deflecting face 15 at the upper end, the uses of which will be presently apparent.

To the back of the seat adjacent to this ratchet (preferably at each side, as above indicated), is attached, as by. screws 16, a latching device to engage the ratchet. This comprises a wall-plate 17 provided with lugs 17 and 17 to receive a sliding bolt 18; This has a reduced stem 18 to receive a coil spring 19 between the lug 18 and a shoulder of the square portion of the bolt 18*, the thrust of the spring tending to throw the bolt to fastening position, in a familiar way. The

Serial No. 287,255.

square portion of the bolt is movable in a rectangular hole 17, and its stem in the lug 17, a little loosencss in these bearings permitting the bolt to rock a limited distance up and down, supported by its stem. In the lower side of the square head of the bolt is a notch 18 adapted to engage the lug at 17 when the bolt is retracted to the proper position. The end of the bolt is inclined at 18 to correspond approximately with the inclined faces of the ratchet teeth.

In Fig. 2 the seat and back are shown at the extreme lower limit of movement corresponding to the full line position of Fig. 1. The bolt is shown shot to engaging position. Just before being so shot by the little of the extending head of the bolt has engaged the stop-shoulder 15 and a little continuation of the downward movement of the seat has disengaged the notch in the bolt from the retaining lug, when of course the spring would thrust the bolt outwardly. From this lowermost position, as will be evident, the seat and back may be elevated by simply pushing forward on the back of the chair, stopping the movement at any desired elevation. To return .the seat to a lower position, the operator has only to continue the forward movement of the chair back, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the inclined face of the bolt engaging the prolonged incline of the ratchet forces the bolt to engage the holding lug by its co-operating notch. In Fig. 3 the positions are shown just before such engagement. This locks the bolt in the retracted position, when its latching end may pass up and down past the intermediate teeth of the ratchet. Its disengagement, as above described, is effected by the tip of the bolt striking the stop-shoulder 15 The invention thus comprehends the manipulation of a swinging seat-back by the moving of the back alone, the latching mechanism being adapted to hold the chair-back at various intermediate points, disengage the bolt out of the path of these intermediate latching points and lock it at one extreme of movement, and at the other extreme release the lock and set the bolt for re-engagement at the latching points.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Combined with a swinging chair-back and its support, a spring-pressed latch-bolt with one inclined face and means adapted to spring a hold the bolt in retracted position, and a cooperating adjacently disposed ratchet memher having at one end a bolt-engaging projection to retract the bolt out of ratchet-engaging position, and at the other end a stopshoulder to abut the tip of the bolt and re lease it.

2. Combined with a swinging chair-back and its supporting frame, a spring-pressed latch-bolt having a locking recess, and a mounting for said bolt adapted to engage said recess and hold the bolt in retracted position, and an adjacently disposed latching member for variable engagement with the 7 bolt, and having at one terminus a prolonged incline to retract the bolt to its locked position, and at the other terminus a stopshoulder in the path of the tip of the bolt, to release it.

3. Combined With a swinging chair-back and its supporting frame, a spring-pressed latch-bolt notched for engagement with its mounting, a mounting for the bolt adapted to permit its sliding endwise, but to engage the notch at a retracted position by a lateral movement of the bolt, and an adjacent ratchet to engage the bolt at varying positions, with a terminal incline to retract the bolt to its locked position and out of the path of intermediate ratchet teeth, and a stop-shoulder at the other terminus to engage the tip of the bolt and release it.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

LOUIE STUSAK. 

